Putting patients at the center of the delivery model: Electronic Health Records 2.0

Imagine a technology solution that allows all healthcare stakeholders to collaborate, all clinical data to be gathered and shared at the point of care (POC), and all medical services to be delivered anywhere, aligned with evidence-based care programs and strategic business goals. How does this compare with your current situation?

According to the market intelligence firm IDC, among today’s key priorities for healthcare executives and clinicians are to connect with suppliers and partners while also aggregating data. The great news is that life sciences and healthcare organizations are getting ever closer to this utopia. As I explained in a previous blog, it’s perfectly feasible to enhance current technology investments by adding an open information management platform. This single step enables what’s known as electronic health records (EHR) 2.0 — the development of a patient-centric information-sharing ecosystem in which everyone can participate and interact.

Patients will be able to access their own data and become participants instead of passive recipients of care. They will be able to contribute patient-reported outcomes and enrich their healthcare records with their own insights, including data from wearables, internet of things (IoT) devices and more. This is especially important for patients suffering from chronic disorders such as diabetes, congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other conditions. Similarly, patients will have access to virtualized and real medical expertise and support in any given situation; they can enjoy easier two-way digital communication with all their caregivers and make their own bookings.

Clinical professionals will have a clear 360-degree view of each patient’s available data, thus achieving a holistic perspective on treatment and care. There will be true longitudinal patient records at the POC, integrating the entire disease history of a patient. By including SME data, doctors will be significantly supported in information-based clinical decision making. Each doctor will be able to continue using best-of-breed clinical applications. When existing technology investments connect to the right EHR 2.0 solution, it may be necessary to modernize legacy applications, requiring extensive data clearance and migration to the new technical ecosystem. Doctors and other clinicians will be able to access this data from their smartphones and other mobile devices.

Healthcare executives will be able to create and profit from new business models, such as care coordination and population health management. By accessing a pay-as-you-go cloud-based platform and software-as-a-service applications, the chief financial officer will happily switch from CAPEX to OPEX investment. Life sciences and healthcare organizations will be able to preserve capital and achieve value-based care management, directly linking technology usage to recurring costs. In a hospital, a successful EHR 2.0 implementation can improve margin-per-bed by reducing the length of stay, optimizing occupancy, enabling management of multiple resources and by many other mechanisms. And all types of healthcare organizations will achieve a more granular understanding of performance and outcomes. Taken together, these qualities will boost the organization’s brand, making it easier to attract skilled employees and to access future research and development and innovation funding.

By putting patients at the center of the delivery model, EHR 2.0 will enable data-driven decision making, time- and cost-saving process automation and optimization, data at the point of care, and mobility. It will also expand cooperation between caregivers and patients from the very earliest, preventative or pre-acute care stage through to post-acute care. Most important of all, you don’t need to use your imagination — it’s happening in healthcare right now.

In my next blog, I’ll be looking at another important capability of the EHR 2.0 ecosystem — a true cross-sectorial approach. Be one of the first to read this: just click to follow me on LinkedIn. Please also share your thoughts below on patient-centric healthcare delivery.

This blog post is the second in a four-part series “Electronic Health Records 2.0” that explores the digital transformation in life sciences and the healthcare Industry.

Bodo Ebens is Clinical Director for North & Central Europe at DXC Technology’s Healthcare and Life Sciences Business, and is a published author. His academic background includes a Masters in Biomedical Engineering, post-graduate in Global Healthcare Economy, and second clinical graduation in Human Medicine. Bodo is a thought leader in the development and implementation of innovative, cross-sectorial healthcare management including coordinated care and population health management. He has extensive expertise in healthcare systems of Brazil, China, central and continental Europe, the Gulf Area and the USA, and he is a registered senior expert consultant of the World Health Organization (WHO).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The DXC on Healthcare blog, authored by our healthcare experts located around the globe, brings together our points of view on transformation and succeeding in an ever-increasing digital landscape. DXC aspires to be the healthcare transformation partner of choice, providing unique best-in-class technology, consulting services and insights for healthcare organizations worldwide. Join the conversation as we discuss the news, trends and technologies transforming the healthcare industry.